"it; and that every day which I have lived hath " taken a part of my appointed time from me; and " that I shall live the less time, for having lived "this and the day past." These, and the like expressions, which he uttered often, may be said to be his enjoyment of heaven before he enjoyed it. The Sunday before his death, he rose suddenly from his bed or couch, called for one of his instruments, took it into his hand, and said, My God, my God, Shall have his attribute to sing. And having tuned it, he played and sung : The Sundays of man's life, Threaded together on time's string, Of the eternal glorious King: Thus he sung on earth such hymns and anthems as the angels, and he, and Mr. Ferrar, now sing in heaven. Thus he continued meditating, and praying, and rejoicing, till the day of his death; and on that day * See the whole hymn entitled " Sunday," in Mr. Herbert's "Temple." said to Mr. Woodnot, "My dear friend, I am sorry I have nothing to present to my merciful "God but sin and misery; but the first is par"doned; and a few hours will now put a period " to the latter; for I shall suddenly go hence and " be no more seen." Upon which expression, Mr. Woodnot took occasion to remember him of the re-edifying Layton Church, and his many acts of mercy; to which he made answer, saying, "They " be good works, if they be sprinkled with the " blood of Christ, and not otherwise." After this discourse he became more restless, and his soul seemed to be weary of her earthly tabernacle; and this uneasiness became so visible, that his wife, his three nieces, and Mr. Woodnot, stood constantly about his bed, beholding him with sorrow, and an unwillingness to lose the sight of him whom they could not hope to see much longer. As they stood thus beholding him, his wife observed him to breathe faintly, and with much trouble; and observed him to fall into a sudden agony, which so surprised her, that she fell into a sudden passion, and required of him to know how he did? to which his answer was, " that he had passed a con"flict with his last enemy, and had overcome " him, by the merits of his Master Jesus." After which answer he looked up and saw his wife and nieces weeping to an extremity, and charged them, " if they loved him, to withdraw into the next " room, and there pray every one alone for him ; " for nothing but their lamentations could make Melvin died before him', then George Herbert died without an enemy". I wish (if God shall be so pleased) that I may be so happy as to die like him. IZ. WA. THERE is a debt justly due to the memory of Mr. Herbert's virtuous wife; a part of which I will endeavour to pay, by a very short account of the remainder of her life, which shall follow. She continued his disconsolate widow about six years, bemoaning herself and complaining that she had lost the delight of her eyes; but more that she "Mr. George Herbert, Esq. Parson of Fuggleston and " and Bemerton, was buried 3d day of March, 1632." (Parish Register of Bemerton.) - It does not appear whether he was buried in the parish church or in the chapel. His letter to Mr. Nicholas Ferrar, the translator of Valdesso, is dated from his Parsonage at Bemerton, near Salisbury, Sept. 29, 1632. It must be remembered, that the beginning of the year, at that time, was computed from the 25th of March. In this year also, he wrote the short address to the Reader, which is prefixed to his "Priest " to the Temple," which was not published till after his death. "We cannot suppose that Andrew Melville could retain the least personal resentment against Mr. Herbert; whose verses have in them so little of the poignancy of satire, that it is scarce possible to consider them as capable of exciting the anger of him to whom they are addressed. had lost the spiritual guide for her poor soul; and would often say, "O that I had, like holy Mary, "the mother of Jesus, treasured up all his sayings " in my heart; but since I have not been able to "do that, I will labour to live like him, that " where he now is, I may be also." And she would often say (as the prophet David for his son Absalom) "O that I had died for him!" Thus she continued mourning, till time and conversation had so moderated her sorrows, that she became the happy wife of Sir Robert Cook, of Highnam, in the county of Gloucester, Knight: And though he put a high value on the excellent accomplishments of her mind and body, and was so like Mr. Herbert, as not to govern like a master, but as an affectionate husband; yet she would, even to him, often take occasion to mention the name of Mr. George Herbert, and say, "that name must live in " her memory, till she put off mortality." -By Sir Robert, she had only one child, a daughter, whose parts and plentiful estate make her happy in this world, and her well using of them gives a fair testimony that she will be so in that which is to come. Mrs. Herbert was the wife of Sir Robert eight years, and lived his widow about fifteen; all which time she took a pleasure in mentioning and commending the excellencies of Mr. George Herbert. She died in the year 1663, and lies buried at Highnam; Mr. Herbert in his own Church, under the altar, and covered with a gravestone without any inscription. |